Lake County to celebrate grand opening of new Fire Station 14 in Altoona

ALTOONA —Lake County Fire Rescue is hosting a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Fire Station 14. The ceremony will take place on Monday, Nov. 13 at 10 a.m. at 18840 County Road 42, Altoona, and is open to the public.

The 5,141-square-foot-station, with 2,461 square feet under air, includes a three-unit apparatus bay, a gear room, a community room, a day room, a full kitchen, three bedrooms and three restrooms, two of which have American with Disabilities Act-compliant showers. The hardened facility can withstand hurricane-force winds and features an on-site emergency generator and LED lighting.

The $1.4 million building was funded by fire impact fees and will be used as a prototype for future Lake County Fire stations.

The units assigned to Station 14 will offer advanced life support, or ALS services. They are expected to respond to 700 calls annually, and will serve the Altoona, Umatilla, and Pittman communities, while providing backup service to Dona Vista, Paisley, and Shockley Heights and mutual aid to Marion County.

“We are thrilled to open this state-of-the-art fire station, which will continue to serve the northeast section of Lake County,” said Fire Chief Jim Dickerson. “Additionally, the new and improved Fire Station 14 could boost the county’s ISO, or Insurance Services Organization rating, resulting in lower residential and commercial insurance rates.”

The career firefighters of Lake County Fire Rescue protect county residents and visitors in an area covering approximately 1,200 square miles, with nearly 70,000 residences and up to 2,000 commercial properties. For up-to-date news on Lake County Fire Rescue, visit, www.facebook.com/LakeCountyFireRescue, or www.twitter.com/lakefirePIO.